Tuesday, 20 December 2011

It is that time of the year again, where we look back at the year that was and plan for the year that is to come. 2011 was a remarkable year for Conasys, so we thought we'd share a few of the highlights as we wind down for the holiday season.

2011 marked the 5 year anniversary for Conasys as a company. It has been a wild ride, starting out with a tremendous amount of success, experiencing the "housing boom" and then surviving the market crash of 2008. In 5 short years we have gone from a local Vancouver supplier of new home manuals to Canada's largest supplier of Home Information Packages.

Conasys went green this year, becoming members of both BuiltGreen and the Canada Green Building Council. Home Information Packages contribute points toward certification in both programs by providing product documents required for proper operation & maintenance to homeowners, thus reducing wasted energy. We are looking forward to the progression of green building practises in the coming year.

Our Home Information Package's became even more robust in 2011 with the addition of "Warranty Advisor" to the product. Not only will homeowners receive automated email reminders when their scheduled maintenance is due, they now receive reminders when major warranty milestones are about to occur as well as directly after with the notification of remaining coverage.

2011 was a social year for Conasys. Sharing new real estate information and technology trends, Conasys has been creating networks on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Youtube, LinkedIn and by Blogging. It has been a pleasure connecting with clients, homeowners and industry organizations and we look forward to sharing information with new connections in 2012.

Conasys rolled up our sleeves and helped Habitat for Humanity raise over $50,000 in two separate events this year. The Conasys team helped plan and organize the BBQ for Humanity in July, and participated in the Ride for Humanity in September. We also Partied for Humanity in November, but somehow that doesn't feel quite so charitable.

All in all, 2011 was a remarkable year for our company. As we head into 2012, many new and exciting initiatives are set to launch that will help us take the business to an even higher level. Strategic partnerships, product advancements and market expansions are just a few of the things we have on the go. We will continue to provide a world class product and superior customer service to our loyal client base, while at the same time advancing the standards in which information is disclosed to new home buyers.Stay tuned, 2012 is going to be a big year!

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Ed Clark, CEO of Toronto-Dominion Bank said this week in an interview that tightening existing mortgage rules would be a good idea to "slow" the rising household debt while avoiding triggering an all out crash.

"I think the government will pause here and not do any tweaks, because they're hoping that the housing market is slowing down on its own but not collapsing and they don't want to push it over and make it go down rapidly," Mr Clark told the Globe and Mail. "It's hard to know whether the economy can take another crank, but my own gut would tell me that it may turn out that we do have the absorption capacity."

Alberta Bucks National Trends, Unemployment Drops

Statistics Canada announced that during the past 12 months, employment across Alberta climbed faster than any other province; 97,100 jobs were created at a growth rate of almost 5% since November 2010.

SanoStante, President of the Calgary Real Estate Board is optimistic that the high job growth will continue to fuel the housing market. "The strength in our economy, combined with affordability levels that outperform most major centres, will continue to attract migrants to the city and spur further growth in our housing market."

"After waning during the first half of the year, consumer demand has steadily increased since the summer months, bringing home sales within seven units of the November 2010 level," said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. "Low Mortgage interest rates remain a key driver in the housing market, helping to maintain affordability and purchasing power."

Monday, 12 December 2011

Alberta builders and developers are setting a new standard for customer care in Canada.

Even though there is no mandatory new home warranty in Alberta, most reputable builders and developers provide it regardless. The same can be said about the homeowner packages provided by builders to help new home buyers understand what is in their home. Although there is no mandatory information disclosure requirement, Alberta builders are going above and beyond, clearly demonstrated by the rapid adoption of Home Information Packages in the province.

Home Information Packages (HIP), the most comprehensive new home manual in the industry provides homeowners with a web-portal housing a product inventory with corresponding product documents from the manufacturer including Operating Manuals, Maintenance & Care Guides and Extended Warranty documents. The online portal proactively communicates to homeowners when their scheduled maintenance is due and how to do it, as well as notifies them when major warranty milestones are about to occur.

"We strive to be on the leading edge of innovation and creativity and are committed to enhancing the home buying experience at every step of the process," shared Larry Noer, Vice President of JaymanMasterBUILT. "Integrating this web based tool for our customers made perfect sense."

Ryan Doherty, Multi-Family Sales Manager for the Unity Builders Group of Companies adds "Post occupancy customer care is a key component in the overall satisfaction when buying a new home. Home Information Packages allow us to deliver a consistent and high level of customer service through the occupancy period and retain more customers as they transition to larger homes."

Thursday, 8 December 2011

The Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation reported today that seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 181,000 units in November, down from 208,800 in October. The drop was due to the volatile multiple unit sector decreasing by 23%, while the single family market increased by 3.5%.

Although the drop is significant, it wasn't surprising to many economists who have long been warning the multiple unit sector was "too hot" and due for a correction. "While starts dropped to their lowest level since February of this year, the details of this report are hardly troubling. The market has corrected from a bout of surprising strength earlier in the fall," said Francis Fong of TD Economics.GVA Housing Market Update for November 2011

Among the highlights, 2,360 home sales which is a drop of 6% from November 2010, but up 2% from October 2011. November home listings increased by 3,222 which is up 2% from the 10 year November average, but down 26% from October 2011. Sales to active listings ratio is at 16%, well within the definition of a "balanced market."

World Class City AND Affordable Housing: Impossible?

Affordable Housing was in the news again this week, with several articles in major dailies dissecting the issue. It is a hot topic of late, specifically with the Vancouver mayoral elections and with the creation of the Canadian Rental Housing Charter to tackle the issue.

Vancouver promotes itself as a world class city, but the features that Vancouver has to make such boasts drive demand and subsequently prices up. Pete McMartin's article in the Vancouver Sun summarizes the argument quite effectively: "If you want to live in paradise, it will cost you."

Friday, 2 December 2011

The Economist magazine released a very pointed article this week stating that several major markets including Canada, Britain, Sweden and France have home prices overvalued by 25% or more.

Using two measures of valuation, price-to-income ratio and price-to-rent ratio, the Economist compared them to long-term averages to draw their conclusions, calling the markets "more overvalued than it was in America at the peak of its bubble."

With interest rates holding at historically low levels, the speculation is bound to continue.

Georgie Awards Finalists Announced

The British Columbia annual Georgie Awards honoring builders and renovators in various categories was released this week.

2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the industry award celebration.Highlighting the event is the always popular High rise Project of the year award. Finalists are Bosa Properties' Jameson House, Concert Properties' Patina and Soleterra Development's Dolce at Symphony Place.The award ceremony will take place on February 25, 2012 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.

Hot Market: New Westminster's 258 Development sells out in 42 Minutes

Tridecca Development's 16-storey condo tower on Sixth Street in New Westminster sold out all 75 units in 42 minutes this past weekend.

Pilothouse Real Estate credits the innovative way the project was marketed for its success. A large empty room set up with computers and projectors showed life-sized floor plans and viewscapes from various units within the project.

"It took all the guess-work out of purchasing," said Craig Anderson, Project Manager for Pilothouse. "These people came in and were really comfortable, really quickly."

Thursday, 1 December 2011

Home Information Packages are being provided by Canada's leading builders & developers to help new home buyers get the most out of their homes. So what exactly is a Home Information Package (HIP) and why is it important?

Email reminders when major new home warranty milestones are about to occur and remaining coverage directly after milestones

This is what it means for homeowners:

Understand how to operate and maintain the products in your home, from appliances to flooring to cabinets to lighting fixtures and everything in between.

Lower cost of homeownership. Operating & maintaining a home's components properly will reduce wasted energy and extend the life of the products.

Maximize Warranty. Many products come with extended manufacturer warranties that extend beyond the new home warranty; knowing what must be done to keep these intact will allow homeowners to reduce replacement costs of the home's components.

New homeowners need this information for successfulhomeownership. Don't buy a new home unless it's HIP.